Painting or other processing of small articles during a manufacturing process commonly requires that the small articles be hung on a rack or hangers and then conveyed through a painting or other operation. During a painting operation, the articles can be either dipped in paint or spray painted. The articles are often conveyed through a washing or cleaning operation prior to the painting operation and then also through a drying operation following the paint application.
Painting operations also frequently require that the article to be painted be electrostatically charged to provide for uniform adherence of paint to the articles. This is accomplished by connecting articles to a source of electrical energy such that the articles become electrically charged.
Following the painting operation, the racks or hangers are cleaned and stripped of paint. The hangers or racks may be cleaned in the manufacturing operation or in some cases are shipped to another location for removal of paint.
Prior art racks and hangers used in painting operations have been bulky and require a significant amount of manufacturing area for storage both prior to the painting operation and after the operation. They can be also be expensive to transport for cleaning or paint removal, and due to the configuration of these racks or hangers they become tangled in storage and can be difficult to separate for use.